


Tag, You're It!

by deanatemytailor



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Castiel/Dean Winchester One Shot, Cute, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Kid Fic, M/M, Marriage, Memories, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-07
Updated: 2015-10-07
Packaged: 2018-04-25 06:29:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4950181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deanatemytailor/pseuds/deanatemytailor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A recollection of Dean's memories from the time he and Cas met as he walks down the aisle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tag, You're It!

**Author's Note:**

> Just a one shot I wanted to do. I've never done a marriage fic before, but it was kinda fun! Kudos and Enjoy!

         Dean stared down the long carpet. He took a deep breath. Today was arguably the most important day of his life and he was nervous as hell but absolutely ready to start the new chapter. Sammy was here and his parents…hell, even his dad decided to show up. Bobby, Ellen and Jo, the extended family, also turned up. Everyone he loved was there and that included his childhood best friend, Cas. Yes, Cas was here, too, and he had the most important job of everyone in the cathedral.

 

* * *

 

1st:

 

            Dean walked out to recess by himself. Today was his first day at a new school and he was really scared. His mom dropped him off early in the morning so he could meet the teacher and she was really nice, but he really missed his old school where his old friends went. He didn’t like being the loner of the school.

            It was still warm out so he bypassed his sweatshirt and walked out onto the playground in his Superman t-shirt and his ripped up jeans.

            The playground was infested with wild children, running, playing, skipping and hopping on the equipment and the basketball court. No one gave Dean a second glance, nor did they invite him to play their games. A fun looking game of Red Rover was going on by the slide and he might have wanted to join that, but Al was there, and Dean could tell by his instinct that Al was not a good kid to be around.

            His green eyes inspected the rest of the area. Some girls were playing horses and he wasn’t really into that, nor did he want to hang out with girls because they had cooties.

            Some other kids were poking an anthill, and as much fun as that looked, the kids were nerdy and probably not where Dean would fit in at all.

            Then he saw it. A game of tag was going on in a large, open green area. It was all boys and Dean figured that was most likely his place to fit it. They didn’t seem mean or nerdy and perhaps they would invite him in.

            Dean walked over to the group, his power ranger light up shoes blinking with each step he took.

            He stopped and watched the kids for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. There were four boys. One he recognized from class. His name was Benny. Dean liked him but during class he pretended he was a vampire, and that was a little weird. The other kid was super scrawny and dorky looking, but he seemed nice. The guy next to him had brown hair and probably the bluest eyes Dean had ever seen. He had a smile on his face, and the pink from his gums stood out. He was wearing his sweatshirt and cargo pants. The last boy playing was named Kevin. He was in Dean’s class and he was really smart. He sat in the front of the room and raised his hand after the teacher asked a question.

            Dean was wondering how to ask them if he could play so he didn’t notice the boy with blue eyes walking over to him.

            “Hello?”

            Dean turned to the boy and smiled. “Hiya.”

            The other boy smiled. “Did you wanna play?”

            Dean nodded. “If that is okay with you and your friends.”

            The boy nodded. “Of course. My name is Castiel.”

            Dean shook his hand and smirked. “Cas, that’s a weird name.”

            The other boy blushed and waved over his friends. “Guys, this is Dean. He’s going to play with us.”

            “Hey! You’re that kid in my class!” Kevin said. Dean nodded.

            “And you’re Kevin. And you’re Benny. What’s your name?” Dean pointed to the scrawny kid.

            “Garth Fitzgerald IV,” the kid said, prim and proper. Dean nodded to him.

            “Are you guys just playing tag or is it another form of tag?”

            “There are other forms?” Kevin questioned, his eyes lighting up.

            Dean shrugged. “Yeah, like toilet tag and ghosts in the graveyard and stuff.”

            Kevin seemed so shocked. Cas interrupted Kevin’s look. “We’re just playing regular tag.”

            “Cool. Who’s it?”

            “I am,” Benny said. He smiled. “Better run, Dean!”

            Benny started running for him and Dean made a mad dash for it. He was the fasted kid on the playground at his old school, and maybe here he could be, too.

            Benny tagged Garth and Garth tagged Cas and then Cas decided to go after Dean. This wasn’t good because Dean found out that Cas was actually faster than he was.

            Dean weaved through the swings and ran underneath the slide and zigzagged around the field. Eventually Cas caught up to him and pushed his shoulder. Dean turned around and Cas was panting with his tongue out. His eyes were wide and a smiled crept on his face.

            “Tag, you’re it!” Cas exclaimed. Dean snapped, disappointed he got tagged.

            “Well, Cas, you should run,” Dean told the boy.

            “No tagsies backsies!” Cas exclaimed, running anyway.

            The recess bell rang ten minutes later and they all had to go line up. Dean could line up with Benny and Kevin since they were in his class, but Cas and Garth had to go to their own classroom’s line. Before parting, Cas looked at Dean.

            “Do you want to play tag with us at 3:00 recess?”

            “Sure!” Dean exclaimed. Cas gripped his shoulder and then pushed him away, heading to his own line. Dean smiled. Maybe he could make friends at this school.

 

* * *

 

            Dean looked to the left and right, wondering where the heck his mom was. She was supposed to lead him on his special day, but she wasn’t in the pews nor was she in the main hall. Sam placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

            “She’s probably checking up on your soon to be significant other. Make sure everything looks good,” Sam informed him. Dean sighed. To be honest, she probably was. She really loved-

            “Sorry! Sorry!” Mary said, entering the room. She appeared a little flustered and red in the cheeks. “We just had a problem with the outfit-“

            “It’s okay, mom. Gotta make sure everything is good, right?” Dean kissed her cheek. “You ready?”

            “Are you?”

            Dean swallowed. Of course he was ready.

* * *

 

2nd:

 

            Dean was in Cas’s class this year and he was excited. They had a really nice teacher and she let Dean and Cas have desks next to each other. This was good since they were learning cursive and Dean was really bad at it. Cas could help him during study time.

            It was getting to be around Christmas time and all the kids were ready to be let out for the two weeks of Christmas vacation. Glitter lined the desks and carpets and crevices of kids. Many art projects hung around the room and Christmas music played from the little boom box in the corner. It was the last day before they were let out and the last hours were spent in anticipation.

            Especially because it was too cold out for everyone to go out on the playground. Instead, they had to spend it doing more arts and crafts. Dean didn’t mind it because he liked art. Cas hated it though and he was mostly coloring pictures while Dean made construction paper rings to loop through one another.

            He sat down by Cas, his lanyard halfway done. Cas had a fat, purple marker in his hand and he was scribbling on green paper. Dean wanted to tell him that the two colors shouldn’t go together, but Cas wasn’t artistic and he decided not to be mean. He used his safety scissors to cut another red strip to add to his lanyard.

            Cas looked at him. He had purple marker on his mouth and Dean held back a laugh.           

            “How do you spell your last name?” Cas questioned him. Dean furrowed his brow, but spelled it out as he stuck his tongue out and glued the ringlet together.

            “W-I-N-C-H-E-S-T-E-R, like the gun,” Dean told him. He averted his eyes to Cas. “How come?”

            Cas didn’t answer, but he looked like he was rushing to finish up his project. Dean waited and then Cas folded the paper and handed it to him.

            “Merry Christmas, Dean!” Cas exclaimed.

            Dean set down the glue and lanyard and took the construction paper. He opened it. Cas drew two purple stick figures running in green grass and there was a sun with sunglasses on it. At the bottom it said, ‘Tag, you’re it!’ and then next to that it said, ‘Marry Christmas, Dean Wincester’.

            Dean chuckled. “Cas! It’s WinCHESTer! You’re weird,” Dean said, bonking him on his head. “Thank you. Is this from that one day where we played tag?”

            “Yeah,” Cas told him. “Your first day of school! That was when we became friends.”

            Dean chuckled. “Yeah it was. Um…” Dean looked around. “Here. Merry Christmas to you, too.”

            He handed Cas his half-finished lanyard and Cas wrapped it around his neck like a scarf. Dean laughed at him and then their teacher told Cas that his parents were here to pick him up. Cas smiled and turned to Dean.

            “Bye Dean, have a good Christmas!”

            “You too,” Dean said. Cas waved at him and exited out the door.

 

* * *

 

            Sam and Charlie hooked their arms together in front of Dean and his mom. Luckily the invitation list was quite small so the traditional aisle walking wasn’t too exquisite. A couple of people headed out and in minutes, it was Dean’s turn to walk to walk through the doors with his mom. Everyone would stand up and Dean didn’t know why, but they do that. He’d be in the room where all was going to happen and he would start sweating, but it would all be for something.

            “Here we go, Dean. I’m proud of you,” Mary told him, squeezing his arm. Dean looked down at her.

            “I love you,” he said. She nodded and pushed the door open.

 

* * *

 

3rd:

 

            Dean and Cas weren’t in the same classroom this year, but they still had recess together. Benny and Kevin and Garth were still good friends with them, but now they added some girls to their games of tag and red rover and mother may I.

            The first girl was Charlie. She was Benny’s cousin who moved here last year and she was really cool. Dean found out that she was the only other person he knew who had seen Star Wars. They talked about that a lot. The other girl was Jo. Dean knew her for a long time. She was Bobby’s daughter. Bobby was his dad’s best friend and basically the reason they moved down here. His dad worked for Bobby and got paid good money and Ellen made them all pie.

            Today they decided to play hide and go seek tag. Dean really liked this game because he was really good at finding hiding spots.

            Cas was 'it' first and Dean knew the perfect place to hide. The baseball mounds were near there and Cas didn’t like to go near them because the fourth graders played baseball there at recess and he was scared of them. That meant the dugouts were free and Cas wouldn’t even think to find him there and he would have to call out ‘Ollie Ollie Oxenfree’.

            He ran as fast as he could across the playground, his new Air Jordan’s becoming less and less white as he stomped on the dirt. The fourth graders looked at him, confused, but he just saluted them and ran into the dugout. He sat on the bench and looked out the gate to watch Cas go after the others.

            He found everyone easily. There weren’t really many hiding spots in the general playground area, and the surrounding trees and shrubbery was sort of obvious as a hiding spot.

            Dean stared chuckling to himself and then lay down on the bench, closing his eyes. Cas would take a while, so he could relax.

            He listened to the game of baseball going on outside and shook his head to the classic rock song his dad liked, which was stuck in his head.

            It was only ten minutes later her heard a whisper in his ear and felt a poke on his nose. “Boop. Tag, you’re it.”

            Dean startled and sat straight up, staring right into Cas’s eyes.

            Cas smirked. “I have been it four times. I figured it was time to find you. Nice try.”

            “I thought you didn’t like coming over here!”

            “I don’t. But I saw your new shoes through the holes in the gate and I wanted to win.”

            Dean clapped a hand on Cas’s shoulder and chuckled. “Fair is fair.”

 

* * *

 

            The music wasn’t really registering in Dean’s ears. He didn’t even know what they were playing. Was it Wedding March? Was it the selection he was saying he wanted while wedding plans were brought up months prior? Dean couldn’t really tell because he was far too focused on the being just yards in front of him.

* * *

 

6th

 

            Dean and Cas were in the same class this year. They hadn’t been for the previous two years. They were the best of friends and having the same class meant hanging out even more.

            This day they were in the library during library time. Dean hated the place but Cas enjoyed it, so Dean tried to act like he did, too. For the most part, he read Scary Stories books. Cas scolded him for not academically challenging himself, but Dean sure as hell wasn’t going to read…’The Fountainhead’ like Cas was reading. Whatever that was.

            Besides, he mostly liked library for the beanbag chairs. And he could just look at pictures in picture books.

            On this particular day, Dean and Cas were sitting in red and blue beanbag chairs right next to each other. Cas was still reading that big ass book, intent, with a raised eyebrow as if contemplating what he was reading. Dean, on the other hand, was reading an NFL magazine.

            Cas squirmed around and shut his book. Dean turned to him.

            “Dean,” Cas started. His voice was starting to crack, meaning he was going through puberty. Dean hadn’t hit that yet and he was jealous of his longtime friend.

            “Yes?” Dean asked him, his voice still pipsqueak sounding.

            “I can’t stress this enough.” Cas took the magazine from Dean’s hands. “You’re smarter than this. You need to challenge yourself. You aren’t getting anything from this and you have so much potential.” Cas looked at the cover, scrunched his nose up, and then threw it to the side. Dean frowned.

            “And what do you think I should read, Cas? Nothing interests me. It’s all phony.”

            Cas smiled then and stood up. Dean watched him walk over to the bookshelf and run a finger through books, clicking his tongue while he looked for something. Dean sure hoped he didn’t find it so he could go back to reading about Peyton Manning.

            Cas pulled out an orange book and walked back to Dean, a skip in his step. Dean rolled his eyes when Cas threw the book down on his lap. He picked it up.

            “ _Catcher in the Rye?”_

            “Tag, you’re it. I read that last week and it’s probably my favorite book.”       

            Dean sighed and opened it. The writing was so _small._

            “This had better be good or I’ll hate you for wasting my time.”

            “You will. Especially because you love and protect Sam all the time.”

            Dean blushed. “That sounds weird.”

            “It’s true.”

            Dean shrugged. It was true. He loved his brother.

            “Give it a try.”

            “Okay,” Dean replied.

 

* * *

 

            Dean looked to the left. Sam was already up by the alter, his hands clasped in front of him. Down in the front left pew was dad. He looked nice; he slicked his hair to the side and his suit was pressed and fancy. Behind him was Bobby, Jo and Ellen. Jo winked at him and smiled her beautiful, bright smile. Behind her was Benny and his wife. Benny nodded at him and Dean smiled back.

* * *

 

8th

 

            Dean slammed his locker closed and Cas stood behind it. He smiled at his friend and leaned against the lockers.

            “What?” he asked. Cas handed Dean a note. His eyes widened. “She answered?”

            Cas nodded and Dean rushed to open it.

            _Yes, I will go to the dance with you. –Lis xo_

Dean fist pumped a hundred times and Cas chuckled.

            “I still don’t understand why you pass her notes if you like her that much. I feel that talking to her would be a big step in actually getting to know her,” Cas informed him. Dean shrugged.

            “I’ll see her at the dance. Besides, my mom is dropping me off early, so I can talk to her before it starts. Who are you going with, anyway?” Dean asked his friend. Cas squinted his blue eyes.

            “Charlie,” Cas replied.

            Dean’s eyebrows went up and down. “Ooh! You and Charlie?” Dean made kissy faces and Cas rolled his eyes.

            “We’re just going as friends, Dean. The person she asked said no.”

            Dean frowned. “That sucks.” He opened his locker again and stuffed Lisa’s note in it. “Maybe we could all get a ride from my mom before it starts.”

            Cas nodded. “Sure.”

            Dean poked Cas’s shoulder. “You’re it…you know, for announcements in class today. We’d better head in there.”

            Cas looked down at his feet. “Sure…I’ll uh…I’ll be there in a second. I have to go to the bathroom.”

            Dean furrowed his brow. Cas was just in there, but whatever, he wasn’t judgmental.

            “Sounds good. I’ll save you a seat.”

* * *

 

            Dean looked past his mom and saw Garth behind his soon to be father and mother-in-law. He was still scrawny little Garth and his face was lit up, happy for his friend. He waved at Dean. Next to him was Charlie and her girlfriend. Charlie wore a flower crown and a beautiful dress that matched the cathedral windows. She was starting to cry (then again, he swore he saw a tear when she walked down the aisle with Sam) and Dean wanted to bop her on the head and tell her that it wasn’t her that was supposed to cry.

            Instead, he nodded to her and then returned his gaze to the front where his soon to be significant other stood.

 

* * *

 

9th

 

            Dean took Lisa’s hand and they walked down the hall to class. Dean had bio and she had math, but they were the cliche, cutesy, honeymoon stage couple that made out before class started and walked each other to their classes. It was a little childish and stupid, but Dean thought he was with the love of his life.

            He stopped to talk to Charlie. She was by her locker, talking to a girl Dean recognized at Gilda from his lit class. She was super hot and way out of the leagues of all the guys…because she was so hot. Maybe she could land Al or Fergus because they were the most popular guys in school, no matter how dumb their names were.

            “Hey Charlie…Gilda,” Dean greeted. Lisa acknowledged them as well. “Are you two coming to the party tonight?’

            Charlie looked at Gilda and smirked. “I think so. Gilda?”

            “Yes, I believe I will be attending.”

            Dean hugged Charlie. “Good. Gotta have my best girl there. Speaking of which, have you seen Cas?”

            “Your other best girl?” Charlie questioned. “I thought I saw him with Garth like, two minutes ago. Over by Mr. Lucifer’s room.”

            “Thanks,” Dean said. “Love you.”

            “I know.”

            He took Lisa’s hand again and they headed down the hall. He nodded to Benny. He was still their friend but he hung out with the football players.

            They continued down the hall, Lisa trying to stop to talk to her friends, but Dean pushed on. Finally they reached Cas and Garth and Dean pushed Cas.

            “Tag, buddy,” Dean said. Cas turned around and his smile morphed to a frown. He looked down at Lisa and Dean’s hands and cleared his throat.

            “Hey,” Cas said. He looked at Dean. “What’s up?”

            “Are you going to the party tonight?” Dean asked him, completely missing Cas’s change in mood. “I need my guy there.”

            Cas shrugged. “I don’t think so, Dean. I’m going to study tonight.”

            “Seriously?” Dean punched him in the shoulder. “Dude, come on! It’s gonna be fun.”

            “Alcohol isn’t fun, Dean. It’s destructive. Not to mention illegal,” Cas offered. Garth nodded next to him.

            “Okay, I won’t go,” Dean told him. “What are we doing, then?”

            Lisa pressed into him. “Dean,” she said, quietly. “You said we’d go and then head out for dinner after.”

            Cas looked at Lisa. “Looks like you have previous engagements,” Cas told him. “I’ll text you later, Dean.” Cas pushed Garth and they headed into Lucifer’s room.

            Dean looked at Lisa. “What’s up his butt?”

            “I dunno, Dean,” Lisa replied. “He’s your boyfriend.”

            Dean squinted and then led them to Lisa’s math class.

 

* * *

 

            “This is it,” Mary whispered to her son. Dean took a deep breath at the bottom of the stairs. He looked up into the beautiful blue eyes staring down at him. The smile that was meant for him was the widest he’d ever seen it, and perhaps the happiest. This was it. He was ready for his life to change. He was ready to spend the rest of his life with Castiel Novak…soon to be Castiel Winchester.

 

* * *

 

10th

 

            Dean knocked on the doorframe to the art room. His best friend was at the sculpture wheel, his hands covered in grey clay. Somehow it was on his nose and in his hair, too. He was smiling as he worked, his hands gentle. Dean grinned affectionately.

            Ms. Mills walked over and crossed her arms over her chest.

            “Hello Dean,” she said. “Do you have a pass to be here?”

            Dean shook his head. “No. Ms. Mills, I really gotta talk to Cas. It’s important.”

            Ms. Mills glared at him and Dean pressed his hands together in a praising. She took a liking to Dean his freshman year, so she gave in and said he could talk to Cas for five minutes. Dean nodded.

            “Castiel, Dean is here to see you,” Ms. Mills said. She raised her eyebrows at Dean, turning slowly, and then headed back to her desk. Cas looked up from his work and stuck his foot out to stop the wheel. Dean nodded at him and Cas smiled serenely. Dean sure hoped this would go well. Cas hadn’t been too keen on him this past year and they hadn’t spoken to each other much. Dean was sick and tired of it and until he realized why, he was pissed at Cas. Now he was just scolding himself for being a complete idiot.

            Cas stood up and walked over to Dean still covered in sticky clay. Dean chuckled.

            “Aren’t you messy?” He picked a clump of dried clay out of Cas’s messy hair. Cas smiled up at him. Yeah, Dean had passed Cas in height finally and here they were.

            “What do you need?”

            “To talk. Let’s go somewhere private.” Dean gripped Cas’s shirtsleeve and once Cas was following, he let go.

            He headed down some hallways and then opened a door that led to the back of the school where the garbage cans and propane tanks were. It was quiet and snowy and Cas shivered as soon as they entered the cold air. Dean crossed his arms over his chest, realizing that this maybe wasn’t a good place to meet after all.

            “Cas, why didn’t you tell me?” Dean questioned him. Cas furrowed his brows.

            “Tell you what?” Cas asked innocently. Dean huffed a breath.

            “You know,” Dean told him, pressing him further. Cas looked down. “You know.”

            “Who told you?” Cas questioned him. Dean leaned against the cold concrete of the school.

            “Charlie. On accident, I promise,” Dean said when Cas looked up at him, his blue eyes wary. “You guys were all pissed at me- every single one of you and I blew up at Charlie and she blew up at me and it sort of just came out of her mouth.”

            Cas shivered.

            “Was she telling the truth?” Dean questioned. “Answer me honestly because I need to know how to proceed here.”

            Cas nodded. “I wasn’t going to mention anything.”         

            Dean put his hands on his hips. “Well why not?” He was firm but kind in his question.

            Cas shrugged. “We’re friends, first and foremost. I didn’t…I DON’T want to lose that over some stupid feelings. Dean, we’ve been best friends since the first grade and I wasn’t going to throw that away because very suddenly I realized I looked at you in a different light. And then you were with Lisa and-.”

            “Wait!” Dean held up his hand. “You mean you liked me before Lisa?”

            Cas sighed. “I’ve liked you since I was little, Dean. I just didn’t realize it wasn't just a friendly feeling until the day you made me give that note to Lisa. I died inside and then I knew.”

            “Cas, look,” Dean started. Cas brought his hand up to Dean’s mouth.

            “Don’t turn me down, Dean. Pretend it never happened and we won’t have to say anything one way or another. We can go back to being friends and-.”

            “Cas, shut up for a second,” Dean said after pulling Cas’s hand off his mouth. He didn’t let go of it, and it was really tempting to pull off pieces of dried clay. “I broke up with Lisa last week.”

            Cas stepped back. “Huh?”

            Dean then stepped forward. “I broke up with Lisa. Don’t worry, I wasn’t being an asshole. I realized two things. The first was that I wasn’t enjoying anything with her anymore. All she wanted to do was exercise and go see rom-coms and eat at fancy places and talk about things I don’t understand. And she likes pop music, Cas. Pop. We weren’t…compatible. She agreed. We parted on good terms, scouts honor. The second thing I realized was after Charlie told me that you had feelings for me, it suddenly hit me that maybe for the past couple of years and probably more, I have had underlying feelings for my best friend in the entire world, too. And then I decided that maybe instead of not listening to my feelings and hiding them way deep down inside, I could ask said friend if he would like to go out with me Friday night on a date.”

            “Dean…?” Cas questioned as Dean took another step towards him. “Are you…are you serious?”

            “God, Cas, I am. Look, I’ve never really been completely ecstatic to be around most people. Charlie; I love that girl. She’s the best. Benny is awesome. I enjoy hanging around him. Garth is a weirdo and he’s cool. But you…Cas with you, I am the happiest person, okay? Like, in my mind, I’m just set on a neutral mode. But with you, it’s like that thing breaks and suddenly I’m happy again. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s your eyes or your smile or your deeply formal attitude, but it makes me happy, okay. And thank Charlie she told me, because I never would have realized this and you would have had to hold back because that’s just what you do. You make other people happy before yourself. Well, here’s a way we can both be happy.” Dean stepped forward and placed his hands on Cas’s cold cheeks and kissed him, dried clay be damned.

            Cas kissed him back; his clay-cracked hands gripped Dean’s t-shirt. The snow still fell on their naked skin and brought goosebumps to their arms but they didn’t care. Nothing could ruin this moment.

            Except maybe the bell, which meant they’d been out here longer than five minutes. Dean pulled away, smile on his face.

            “Yes, Dean, I’ll go on a date with you,” Cas said, fog coming from his mouth. Dean beamed at him.

            “Good. Don’t forget to bring the money. You’re paying,” he told Cas.

            “I am not! You’re the one working,” Cas informed him. Dean chuckled, happy to have gotten everything laid out on the table between them. He leaned down and rolled a ball of snow in his hands. Cas backed up, shaking his head.

            “Deannnn,” Cas warned. Dean threw it and hit Cas square in the chest.

            “Tag, you’re it!” Dean exclaimed and then started running. Cas shook his head.

            “You’d better run!”

 

* * *

 

            Dean walked up the steps, a little shaky in the legs. It kind of felt like a repeat of his bachelor party where he got stone cold drunk and could barely walk. Sam had to lead him out of the bar holding all of Dean’s weight.

            Cas held out a hand and Dean took it and instantly all those nerves and pent up anxiety all just faded away. He was here and now and Cas was standing in front of him with a blue tie that matched his stormy eyes. He couldn’t stop smiling and his hair was parted on the side. It wasn’t Dean’s sex-haired Cas, but he looked handsome nonetheless. Dean felt like a mop next to the sharp-dressed Cas. Sure, Dean looked spiffed up, too, but Cas was just angelic up by the alter. His stature and suave looks were enveloped in the greens and blues and reds of the stained glass windows.

            “Cas…you look…” Dean didn’t have any words. Cas smirked.

            “So do you, Dean. I love you.”

            “We are gathered here today…”

* * *

 

12th

 

            Junior year had been messy. It was stressful and Dean and Cas had to have many a fight about college and keeping grades up and how they would proceed in the years to come. They both sent applications to some different and some same colleges. Dean was nervous, to be honest. Cas was abnormally intelligent and Dean was pea-brained and his boyfriend could literally get into any college he wanted. This led to senior year.

            And after all the fights and Cas staying late at Dean’s house to help him study chemistry with bloodshot eyes and a snappish tone, everything finally paid off. They both got accepted into USC. Dean had wanted to go there the most and his acceptance came as a shock. Cas obviously was accepted as well, and he told Dean that was where he would go as well.

            So here they were on graduation day, dressed up in grey, boxy robes with square shaped hats, listening to their English teacher Mrs. Masters give the speech. Dean was only half paying attention. He had to sit in the way back next to people he’d never gotten to know and never would know after the clock struck three. It was sad to him; the fact that he went to school with people whom he could have potentially became friends with. However, he was content with his small group of friends and Cas.

            Speaking of Cas, suddenly Mrs. Masters was done with her speech and full names were being called so as to get diplomas. Cas was called during the ‘N’s and he looked out after shaking the principal’s hand to find Dean’s eyes. They had done it. Eleven whole years together and they were finally free from the place they’d made so many memories at.

            After Dean was called and Sam blew on an annoying whistle that emanated through the gym, it was caps off and then they were all officially graduated.

            The after party was at Dean’s house. He had a bunch of his family members from his mom’s side and a couple of friends from school, including Benny. Cas showed up an hour after it started so he could stay at his own party before meeting Dean.

            Dean and Cas got their hamburgers and joined Charlie and Benny at a picnic table by Dean’s childhood swing set. He took a big bite of his burger, sauces staining his lips and chin, and Cas laughed.

            “Well guys, we’re free,” Dean said. “Isn’t that amazing?”

            Charlie nodded. “Absolutely. It’s sad that we won’t see each other often during the school year.” Charlie was going to Boise State and Benny was heading back to Louisiana to stay with his family and go to college there.

            “We’ll keep in touch. We’re too good of friends not to,” Cas offered. “Speaking of…where’s Garth?”

            Benny swallowed. “His parents are forcing him to stay at his party to talk to the other Fitzgerald’s.”

            “Kudos to him,” Dean muttered. Cas pressed into his shoulder and Dean smiled.

            Little kids screamed behind Dean and he realized it was because Sam was engaging their little cousins in a game of tag.

            Dean turned to Cas. “Still think I can whoop your ass at that game?”

            “Dean, I was in cross country.”

            Dean stole Cas’s cookie and took a big bite out of it. “That’s long distance, babe. It ain’t speed.”

            Cas smirked and poked Dean in the chest. “Tag, you’re it.”

            He slid off the bench and started running with the little Campbell’s. Dean saluted Benny and Charlie and started running after his boyfriend.

* * *

 

            “The vows, please.”

            Dean let go of Cas’s hands to reach into his pocket. He pulled out a piece of paper and opened it, the crinkle seemingly echoing off the walls of the church. He cleared his throat. He was never one for making speeches, much less writing down his feelings.

            “Cas…Cas Novak,” Dean started, his eyes coming up to meet Cas’s for an instant. “From the day we met, I made a promise to you. You have probably forgotten since that was almost nineteen years now, but I’ve remembered it and have repeated it throughout our years together. It was simple and obviously in our minds- we were playing. That’s what little kids do. But we grew up and soon we were in junior high and high school and still, we’ve said those words…hell, we’ve made that promise since we were innocent school kids. And now the day has finally come where I can say that I have upheld my promise, and you yours. Now we know they weren’t meaningless; we weren’t just playing a game. From day one, Cas, I’ve told you that you were it. You’re all there was for me and all there will ever be for me. I promise to love you and cherish you forever because you’re it.”

            Cas was crying and Dean was tearing up and yeah, his speech was cheesy. But Cas understood it. He knew. And that was good enough for Dean.

* * *

 

25 years old:

 

            “It’s hard to believe we got married two months ago. It feels like ages,” Cas told Dean, standing on his toes to hang up a wedding picture on their new wall.

            “No kidding. Pretty sure I haven’t heard from Garth since then.”

            Cas let out a breath as the picture he was hanging and adjusting finally straightened out. He turned to Dean. “I heard he was off sailing somewhere in a boat. At least that’s what Benny told me.”

            Dean pursed his lips in thought and then headed into the kitchen. “Are you almost done with decorating? Do you want a beer?”

            Dean waited for an answer, and finally Cas said, “Yes please. And I would be finished sooner if I could get some help.”

            Dean walked back to his husband and handed him a Blue Ribbon. “I think it looks good. Take a break, why don’t you. Let’s go sit on the patio.”

            Cas rolled his eyes but padded his way across the hard floors to the back door. Dean followed on his heels and then sat down in the porch swing when they were out. The Kansas sun was setting in the distance. Soon Dean would have to go to bed so he could feel refreshed for his job at the school. Yeah, somehow Dean the engineering major ended up coming back to his thoughts of school and how it changed his life, and soon he was signing up for a teaching license and degree.

            Cas worked in a business office in town and he was practically the breadwinner, but Dean was okay with that. They were both happy and in love and they had a home and a dog (who Sam was borrowing to impress a veterinary student).

            Dean took a sip of his beer, watching the sun go down, when the phone rang inside. Both he and Cas looked at each other, their eyes speaking for themselves.

            Dean smirked. "You're it."


End file.
